The horse through the Wairoa floods: An 83-year-old’s survival story

Irelle Lowe was already up when her son Gordon, who lives next door on Kopu Rd in Wairoa, banged on the door at 6.30am.

Flood waters were rising rapidly around both properties.

About 118 homes were flooded in the lower part of the town in northern Hawke’s Bay when the Wairoa River overflowed on June 26. The Government has launched an urgent review to assess the flood response.

Irelle Lowe on Amber with Tony Grant beside her slowly rides up Kopu Rd during the Wairoa flood on June 26. Photo / Theresa Hoyle

The day before, Lowe had celebrated her 83rd birthday. She knew she had to get out.

”Gordon yelled, ‘quick get your purse’. He was going to back the car out and I was to drive down Kopu Rd turning right at the second street, and I would be alright.

“But I could not see the road under the flood water and ran off it and hit a fence.

”I crawled over on to the back seat as water entered the car.”

Lowe recognised Theresa Hoyle who had driven in behind her to check on her ponies, Amber and Maple.

Hoyle opened the car door and suggested Lowe ride Amber.

In her whole life the 83-year-old had only ridden three times, falling off each time but with help from Hoyle and Tony Grant, they walked towards Apatu St where they were met by police, fire and emergency.

By then the water was up to her waist. ”I think everybody was stunned,” said Lowe.

Her son had woken up early because the electric blanket had stopped working and he could hear the drain pipe below the kitchen sink gurgling.

Looking out the door, it was pitch black and water everywhere. He stepped out into the cold water to check on his mother’s house.

Later Lowe said, “It really was quite scary but in those situations you do what you have to do.

“It gets a little better each day, if you do something, tidy something.

“It is no good sitting down crying, it’s happened.”

Still sorting, Irelle Lowe and cat Flood at their Kopu Road garage on Thursday. Photo / Ann Revington

Before the flood she was preparing to sell and buy closer to town.

Now her garage is full of everything that did not go into the 10 trucks that removed the sodden, damaged carpets, wall linings, furniture and bedding after the flood.

A cat family from a camper van next door moved in beneath her house and one of the kittens named Flood is now a great buddy.

Her home, built just before WWI, is insured and Lowe, Gordon and another son, Ross, have worked daily on cleaning up, washing and storing what remains.

When the trucks arrived, there was no time for sorting. Gordon said, “do you want something or did you need it?

“That was the decision and the answer was all the wants went out the window.”

Kindness and care have buoyed Lowe - like Hoyle and Helen Grainger who she has stayed with and care packages of clean dry towels and chocolate biscuits from Roz Thomas, the mayoral relief fund, and the steadfast support of her sons Gordon and Ross.

Coast Vets’ Theresa Hoyle said as soon as they got the alert early on June 26, she knew her animals and the paddock were at risk.

”Luckily they were at the gate end of the paddock and not the other end as it is very low in the middle.

”I was not expecting the water to be up to their bellies.”

Later she went back to rescue other people’s horses on Scott St.

Her vet clinic has also become a refuge for several feline flood victims whose owners had to leave their properties.

That morning, Gordon Lowe continued on his flood-wading to check on his nearby neighbour’s property. As he approached, he heard whimpers and noises coming from a floating kennel on the driveway.

“I could see its nose pressed up against a patch of mesh, the only place it could breathe.”

He rescued the traumatised dog and gave it to one of the truck crew on Kopu Road. A fortnight later, Lowe, who grew up in Feilding, said the bar to the river “should have been open”.

“When I first came here [nearly a decade ago] I said the river needs dredging, it only has two to three feet to take flood water.

“Residents who have lived here all their lives, know it needs dredging.

”It is no good having someone in Napier or Hastings deciding.”